Kurt Warner is not ready for his children to live their dream to be just like daddy. The former MVP and Super Bowl winning QB is starting to be swayed by a lot of evidence that may prove the long-lasting dangers of the violence involved in playing football.

He is considering that he may have to discourage them from wanting to play football for their own safety.

Warner, who has one of the most unusual stories of rags-to-riches in the NFL, was a highly successful QB as an NFL QB with the Rams, Giants, and Cardinals. He reached 3 Super Bowls and was the MVP of Super Bowl 34, when the Rams defeated the Titans. All his accomplishments came after playing in the Arena League and stocking groceries at a local food store. While Warner was highly successful, he also took a beating during his career. In fact, he was allegedly targeted in the Saints pay-for-injury scandal back in the 2010 playoffs. Warner was blown up on one play, that was a legal hit, but the NFL report says that the Saints had a bounty on him. Warner is being influenced by that and revelations from recent research that concussions are leading to a lot of health issues like depression and CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, Warner had this to say when he was asked about whether or not he would want his kids playing football with what he now knows:

“They both have the dream, like dad, to play in the NFL,” Warner said. “That’s their goal. And when you hear things like the bounties, when you know certain things having played the game, and then obviously when you understand the size, the speed, the violence of the game, and then you couple that with situations like Junior Seau — was that a ramification of all the years playing? And things that go with that. It scares me as a dad. I just wonder — I wonder what the league’s going to be like. I love that the commissioner is doing a lot of things to try to clean up the game from that standpoint and improve player safety, which helps, in my mind, a lot. But it’s a scary thing for me.”

Asked if he would prefer that his sons not play football, Warner answered, “Yes, I would. Can’t make that choice for them if they want to, but there’s no question in my mind.”

This is becoming a more common sentiment among a lot of parents. Head injuries are happening at all levels of football, including PeeWee. Again, there is a lot of studies that have been done showing a connection between them and several long-term repercussions, though nothing is 100% conclusive. The Junior Seau suicide is already re-igniting the debate on whether or not his depression is linked to his years of physical abuse playing football. The lack of fundamentals and how players choose to tackle also plays a huge role, and the NFL has been trying to take steps to keep players from launching themselves headfirst into the ball carriers. It isn’t a debate that is going to end anytime soon, but you cannot blame a parent that wants to keep their child as healthy as possible. Just watch how Seau’s mother pleaded for herself to be taken away instead of her son.

The landscape of the National Football League has been undoubtedly altered over the last decade, primarily regarding player safety. Disciplinarian Roger Goodell has brought the hammer down on any NFL player or coach that fails to contribute to the ever-growing awareness of life-threatening, on-field injuries. He’s severely punished former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

One supposed target of Gregg Williams and the Saints’ bounty program is ex-NFL QB and current NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner.

Warner was recently quoted on “The Dan Patrick Show” saying he would prefer if his children did not play football because of the severity of potential injuries. His opinion did not sit well with others, including former NY Giants teammate Amani Toomer and current ESPN analyst Merril Hoge.

Toomer was certainly outspoken, saying on NBC Sports Talk “This reminds me of the guy at the basketball court, who once he gets done playing takes the ball and ruins the game for everybody else. I think Kurt Warner needs to keep his opinions to himself when it comes to this.” While this was a surprisingly harsh comment, the real criticism came from Merril Hoge, who calls Warner “irresponsible” and uneducated”.

“I think it’s irresponsible and unacceptable,” Hoge said on “NFL Live” on ESPN. “He has thrown the game that has been so good to him under the bus. He sounds extremely uneducated.”

Backlash and criticism was expected following Warner’s comments, but the source of these comments were particularly irritating. Hoge spent eight seasons in the NFL, the last of which came with the Chicago Bears. The former running back suffered a concussion during the 1994 season with the Bears, but was cleared to play without further examination by the team doctor. A few weeks later, he suffered another concussion, this one causing him to stop breathing. Hoge was eventually resuscitated and spent two days in intensive care, which marked the end of his football career.

In the weeks, months, and years following this incident Merril Hoge experienced severe memory loss and even had to learn to read again.

It is nearly mind-boggling to hear Hoge, who nearly lost everything on the field, not only question Kurt Warner’s safety-related comments, but to essentially call blasphemy on the Super Bowl MVP. Hoge more than anyone should understand the extreme risks that come with playing an extremely violent sport.

Despite the growing concerns of head injuries, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan said that he still wants his son to play football.

Last year, Ryan's son Seth, a high school cornerback and wide receiver, suffered a concussion while playing in a game.

"I’m proud that my kid plays,” Ryan said Saturday, following the second day of Jets' rookie minicamp.

“He had a concussion last year. That’s part of it. Obviously, I think that we are so much further along now. When you look at the league now ... nobody is forcing guys to come back. That’s just the opposite. I think our trainers do an unbelievable job. Our doctors do a great job. They’re not going to put a young man out there unless they feel he’s healthy enough to come back and play. The same thing with my son. Obviously you got concerns. It happens."

NFL Network analyst and former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner made news last week when he said he’d prefer his children not play football because of the head-injury risk.

"It’s an unfortunate part of the game," Ryan said. "I truly believe everybody’s working to try to get this thing minimized. We’ve got to protect our players. ... We try to do that with the helmets, with the way the trainers and everything else. But will I still have my son playing? Absolutely.”

Ryan talked about what it takes to play in the NFL.

"The thing that separates football from other sports ... I think it takes courage to play football. That’s why I think guys are so special that play this game. ... Line up on that kickoff team and you’re running down that field and you don’t know where it’s coming from, but you know it’s coming. And you’re scared but you go anyway. That tells you a little bit about this game ... that you got to overcome fear."

He summed it up by saying, "It takes somebody special to play this game.”